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Oplexian
Oplexians were a pre-warp non-humanoid race native to Oplex. They are among the largest sapient species known to the Federation, comparable in size to Earth's extinct Argentinosaurus. Their colossal size is attributed to their herbivory, hollow bones, complex respiratory system, and the support of 6 pillar-like legs. Despite their comparisons to dinosaurs, they physically resemble elephants more than anything else, having short muscular necks and their elongated prehensile jowls serving as their main appendages for manipulating tools and plant matter. Unlike smaller 6-legged fauna, they lack fibrous integument in adulthood except on their tail for communication purposes, as their colossal size is more than enough to keep them warm. For similar reasons, they never developed clothing aside from jewelry and armor. As the oplexians did not have warp technology, in accordance with the Prime Directive first contact had not yet been made. Although science missions to Oplex are common, the oplexian species itself is barely researched aside from the occasional scan of a deceased individual, as their impractical size and non-humanoid nature made it difficult to observe them up close using 24th century technology without a very high risk of accidentally violating the Prime Directive. Description Oplexians are colossal hexapodal people which bare a vague resemblance to elephants. Averaging about 10 meters tall at the shoulder, they are one of the largest and heaviest sapient species known to the Federation, as well as the largest terrestrial creature known to have ever existed on their planet. They have a beaked face, a "crown" of horns atop their heads, and a fan of superficially feather-like filaments on their tail. A pair of proboscis-like arms, which are in reality modified and elongated prehensile jowls, connect to either cheek and allow them to use tools or manipulate food. They have a pair of nostrils in front of each limb along the sides of their bodies, and they are a little bit lighter than they look due to the presence of air sacs extending along and through many of their bones; their torso and head in particular are much lighter than they look, as most of their bones aside from their leg bones are hollow, much like an Earthly sauropod. Oplexians are notable among sapient races known to the Federation in that they are not even vaguely humanoid, nor do they fall under any other pre-existing classification other than that they are cellular and carbon-based. Because of their independent, untainted evolutionary history resulting on different genetics and anatomy from anything else in the known galaxy, they are immune to telepathy and cannot be affected by diseases originating on other planets; likewise, they developed body language independently of humanoids and are difficult for a humanoid to read as a result. Biology Oplexians are a type of hexapodal dichordate of the primary animal kingdom found on Oplex. They have two "backbones", upper and lower, which are strikingly similar to those of vertebrates found on other worlds, yet are genetically coded completely differently--implying convergent evolution, rather than influence from one of the many ancient civilizations and super-races which seeded the Milky Way. They are part of a specific subgroup of hexapodal dichordates called Sagoncheria, and as such they lack the twin tails of other dichordates, instead using the extra length of the lower "backbone" to help support a larger fermenting gut. They are obligate herbivores, and they use their elongated prehensile jowls to manipulate food much like an elephant's trunk. Their six legs are erect and pillar-like with three toes each, and each leg has a single knee pointed backwards. Like all other bilateral primary animals on Oplex, oplexians have a biradial life stage; in their case, metamorphosis occurs in the womb so that they are born bilateral, as is necessary for creatures of their colossal size.Category:Species Category:Alpha Quadrant species Category:Non-humanoid species